Nicolson Notes - Netball, Swahili and Rights

Published:07:18Saturday 10 December 2016

The Nicolson Institute’s highly successful netball club started up in 2014, and now has over sixty S1-S3 girls playing every week.

The club is run by Miss Macmillan and is supported by Mrs Rodgers, who has many years of netball experience. The extra-curricular club meets every Wednesday after school and, as well as playing against each other, the girls compete in tournaments and in the annual sports festival. Teams from S1, S2 and S3 have been entered into the Scottish Schools Cup Competition for the second year and the girls selected to play for the school teams meet every Friday after school for training.

So far this year, three teams have travelled to Stornoway to play home matches against the Nicolson teams.

In October, the S2 team drew 19-all against Wick High School and the S3 team won 42–27 against Thurso High School.

Albyn School’s S1 team recently travelled to Stornoway from Aberdeen and beat the home team 11–8 in what was a very close match.

All three Nicolson teams made a two-day trip to the mainland in November to play the remainder of their Round 1 matches.

In Fortrose, the S2 team lost 21–26 and the S3 girls drew 30-30 in an extremely close and exciting match. After spending the night in Inverness, the teams visited Gordonstoun School where the S1 girls won 12–5 and the S3 girls won their match 34–17.

The S3 team are hoping to accredit their commitment and dedication to netball towards achieving their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award this year.

We wish all the girls the best of luck with their next matches (see photo S1 team).

LINK UP WITH TANZANIA

Geography classes in S2 have been studying development in Africa this term.

One of the Gaelic Medium Geography classes made a link with Karen Maclean, from Doune Carloway and a former student of The Nicolson Institute, who now works with a charity in Tanzania.

She spoke to the class via video call in Gaelic and a little Swahili.

The students learnt about her work and were able to ask questions about life in Tanzania.

WORKPLACE RIGHTS

This term S1 Modern Studies classes have been studying human rights.

Representatives from the STUC (Scottish Trades Union Congress) were in the school last week to give pupils information about the work trade unions do regarding rights in the workplace.

Education officers from the STUC spoke to an S1 Assembly on a video link via Glow and Gaelic- medium sessions were held for Nuadh-Eòlas classes.

DATES FOR PARENTS

S4 parents’ evening – Wednesday, 7 November

S5/S6 parents’ evening - Wednesday, 14 December

School Christmas Concert – Thursday, 15 December

‘Wear a Christmas Item’ in aid of Save the Children – Friday, 16 December.